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There are signs and portents and wonders, so I'm going to watch TV for a bit.

It's not the end of the world, but if I'm correct, it signals a weather change. If the weather change is not coming, then I'm coming down with something. Either way, time out is good.

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The weather change is still happening and in an hour I shall be asleep, which is my personal form of celebration.

I have lots of tidbits for everyone not weather-affected, if I can remember them.

My memory suddenly went astray because I saw the news tonight. As well as the horrifying fire stuff, the ABC spent quite a bit of time showing what the major hospital dealing with burns victims is doing to meet the crisis. "Like the Bali bombings," someone said. The unit they kept shooting was the ICU at the Alfred, where I spent too many hours just recently. They actually showed the cubicle my father died in and one of the nurses who cared for him. This was very ... odd.

The rest of this post is more cheerful. I just need to remember what cheer I had intended to impart.

If you are given handpicked wild-harvested blackberries by a very kind friend, you should definitely take 3 handfuls, add them to polenta, some whole milk, two pullet eggs and some honey from a local farm. Fry them in some good butter, like pikelets. It makes a big meal, but a good one, especially when comfort food is imperative. The only sad thing about this as a meal is that it's gone. All, all gone.

Melbourne friends: if any of you can get to St Kilda Town Hall on 16 February, there is a fundraiser in aid of International Pen. It has the most amazing list of performers: Warren Willis, Joe Dolce, Slava Grigoryan (I am trying to hear in my mind Grigoryan playing the accompaniment to "Shaddap you face" but my imagination is not sufficient unto the task), Richard Piper, Simon Palomares, Arnold Zable (who is a cousin of mine by marriage but has never met me), Majid Shokor, Ernie Gruner (who is a good friend, an amazing violinist, and who has sent me an e-poster for it, so if anyone wants the e-poster, give me an e-address), Anthea Sidiropoulos, Phil Splitter, Susie Davies-Splitter (who can't be the same as the Susie who was a close friend of my sister's for years and years - that would be just too much co-incidence) and Kutcha Edwards. Tickets $50/40 / Credit bookings 1300 769 803, Enquiries/other bookings 0414 603 186. If you go, do me a favour and do squeeing fanthing at Ernie and then tell him I sent you. Don't tell him I sent you first, that would spoil it.

Masques is so close to going to the printer. So very, very close.

I don't remember the rest. How could I? It's only 25 degees outside. It hasn't been 25 degrees at 10 pm for days and days and days. It might as well be Spring... (it's a shame about the weather-change headache - I'm in the mood for musicals)